


Dust From A Distant Sun

by Brenda



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Chuck Lives, Kink Meme, M/M, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-08-11
Packaged: 2017-12-23 03:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brenda/pseuds/Brenda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>You might know the <i>science</i> behind the stars, but you don't know the poetry.</i>
</p><p>Or:</p><p>Raleigh and Chuck share a late night conversation and discover they have a few more things in common than they thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dust From A Distant Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【授权翻译】Dust From A Distant Sun | 来自遥远恒星的灰烬](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009823) by [AlexDore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexDore/pseuds/AlexDore)



> Written for **[this prompt](http://pacificrimkink.livejournal.com/1613.html?thread=1547085#t1547085)** on the [Pacific Rim Kink Meme](http://pacificrimkink.livejournal.com), which basically says, Raleigh knows the stories behind dozens of constellations, and one night, he tells some of those stories to Chuck. Bonus points if Raleigh's a Trekkie or Star Wars fan.  
>  Thanks to Jo, as always, for the beta.

The stupid, bloody powers that be that ran the universe had to either have the worst sense of timing out there or the most ironic sense of humor going, because it wasn't until the Breach had been closed and Chuck was out of the infirmary for good and limping about under his own power – and the long, slow process of shutting down the last remaining Shatterdome had begun – that he realized he couldn't quite sleep anymore. Yeah, sure, he'd been grabbing a couple of hours here or there each night, mostly with Max a warm weight beside him on the bed, but honest true REM sleep? That hadn't happened in quite awhile.

Not since Sydney, really, if one discounted those drug-filled weeks in a hospital bed. And even then, that had been more about letting his battered body heal than about getting any real rest. 

He used to be able to nod off at the drop of a hat whenever he had down time and a semi-flat surface, but now that there were no more kaiju to battle and he could start to unwind and relax, maybe let his guard down, the thoughts in his head wouldn't let him. Too many memories, too many fucking nightmares, only they weren't just the fevered imaginings of an overactive mind; they'd actually happened. Scunner and Slattern bearing right down on top of Striker, Gipsy too far away to do any damn good, the helpless, impotent rage Chuck had felt as Stacker had shoved him into his escape pod, the clock ticking down the precious seconds until the bomb detonated, promising Chuck he'd be right behind...

Would he have done anything different if he'd known the Marshall'd had no intention of leaving the Conn? Would he have stayed with the Marshall and manned his post to the bitter end, chosen an honorable death in combat, or would he still have taken the out that had been presented to him, and left the Marshall to face the end all alone? For once in his life, he didn't have any answers, and no way to fight the monsters that were right at his door.

He tried his best to keep the fact that he was having trouble sleeping from his dad, because Herc had enough to worry about these days with all the new responsibilities being thrust upon him. And it had already taken weeks before Herc had let Chuck out of his sight – which had been really fucking uncomfortable for both of them as it stood – once his pod had been discovered bobbing out off the coast of Guam. He wasn't gonna give the old man any more grey hairs. Not when there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Most nights, in those small, quiet, long hours before dawn, he and Max either went for measured, steady walks – Chuck determined to get his leg and hip back to 100% as quick as humanly possible – or he was in Ops with Tendo cataloguing equipment and keeping watch on the radar, because it wasn't paranoia when they really _were_ trying to kill you and take over your planet in the process.

But tonight, Tendo was on the mainland on leave and hopefully, for Elvis' sake if nothing else, getting some from his old lady. Someone needed to be having sex, and if it wasn't Chuck getting laid, then he was glad it was a friend. And Max had just given Chuck a mournful, wrinkled look when Chuck had mentioned a walk and hadn't budged from where he'd been curled up on the bed. Chuck wondered if Max was as sick of Chuck's restlessness as much as he was himself.

But he knew he'd go stir-crazy if he stayed in his room, so he threw on some trackpants and a sweatshirt and headed out to grab some air. He wandered the main level aimlessly for awhile, but it was so empty these days, devoid of the hustle and bustle of its heyday, when Jaegers had proudly stood guard, lording over everyone like giants, and pilots and techs had complete dominion over all they surveyed. Peace was all well and good, but it was goddamn quiet.

He passed by the mess hall and slowed, then stopped. Maybe what he really needed was a mug of tea or a cup of chocolate. Something soothing, like his nana used to drink back when he'd been a kid. He could still recall the faint scent of chamomile that always clung to her clothes if he concentrated hard enough, and the memory was enough to turn his feet towards the kitchen. It couldn't hurt. At this point, he was willing to try just about anything.

But the room wasn't empty.

Raleigh, wearing his favorite black jumper and a pair of regulation grey sleep pants, was sitting at one of the long tables, a mug at one elbow and turning the pages of an actual, physical book. Chuck couldn't make out the title, but he was still impressed. Most people he knew read almost exclusively on their tablets or PDAs. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd _seen_ a book in person.

Raleigh glanced up when Chuck shuffled up to him, and if his smile didn't quite reach all the way to his eyes, his nod was welcoming enough. "Can't sleep?"

"Seems to be a habit these days," Chuck replied, and took the bench seat across from Raleigh, studying the other man up close. There were fine, stress lines around his eyes and mouth, and his skin had the sort of sallowness to it that spoke of too much time indoors. "You?"

"Man, I haven't slept well in years."

"Yeah, I reckon you haven't." Chuck supposed if he'd gone through all that Raleigh had, he'd be the same. He just hoped this wasn't his future. It'd be a piss poor way to repay the Marshall for the gift of his life by becoming an insomniac wreck afraid of his own shadow.

He glanced at the book, eager to change the subject. "Reading something mindless and juicy, I hope."

Raleigh flipped it around so Chuck could see the cover - _The Aeneid_ by Virgil. It didn't ring any bells, but it wasn't so surprising that he'd never read it. Hell, he'd never even heard of it. If it wasn't an article or memo about Jaeger tech or kaiju biology, it wouldn't have pinged his radar.

"Dunno about mindless, but it's definitely juicy enough," Raleigh commented. "I haven't read it since I was in high school, so I figured it was time to dust it off."

"I guess." It definitely hadn't been part of Chuck's curriculum, but the Academy didn't give a shit if the cadets could read, as long as they could drift and fight and pilot a Conn. Everything else had been expendable. "Nothing like a little light reading if you're having trouble sleeping, I guess."

"Well, it's not _The Iliad_ on the scale of grand opera," Raleigh smiled, "but then, what is. I just, uh, yeah, I guess I've always had a thing for the classics."

"Never had too much time for 'em," Chuck replied, wishing he'd thought to grab something to drink first. His hands itched with the need to hold onto something, just to have something to do with them. "I was aiming for the Jaeger Academy from the day it opened, so it was all applied sciences and maths and spending all my spare time in simulators and taking boxing and MMA classes. There wasn't too much time for reading literature or the arts."

Raleigh's face softened in something like understanding. "Yeah, I guess you were still pretty young when K-Day hit."

Chuck was, but others had been younger still. He wasn't the only one whose life had been irrevocably changed. And the last thing he wanted from Raleigh Becket was sympathy. But he was too tired to object or make any sort of cutting remark, and he knew Raleigh didn't mean anything by it. Besides, this was the first pleasant conversation the two of them had had that hadn't centered on work or Chuck's slow but steady recovery from his injuries, and who was he to muck it up with a bit of pointless posturing. 

Hell, maybe his old man was right and he really was starting to mellow out. Scary thought, that. "Guess I'll have time now, yeah? I mean, to read everything I've missed."

"Sure," Raleigh agreed, with an amiable shrug. "I guess we all will."

Chuck leaned down to massage some of the stiffness out of his knee. Bloody thing still locked up on him sometimes. But not as often. He needed to remember that. He was getting better, day by creeping, bloody day, even though it wasn't quick enough to suit him. But then, he'd always been impatient. And a perfectionist. "Maybe I'll get you to make me a list." 

Raleigh glanced down, gestured at Chuck's leg. "How's it coming along?"

"Still stiffer than morning wood sometimes, but it's getting there. Doc keeps saying I'll make a full recovery, and I'm not about to argue with her. Not after the miracle she pulled, y'know?"

"Yeah. And hey, man, that's something," Raleigh said. "It's good to see you up and about on your own two feet."

Chuck knew what Raleigh meant. It had been touch and go for awhile there, and he'd even heard that there had been serious talk he could have lost his leg. He was just as happy he'd been drugged to the gills when that conversation had taken place between his father and the good doctor. Because maybe he'd never run another marathon or wipe the floor with anyone in the Kwoon again, but he was whole and he was the most stubborn bastard he'd ever met in his life, and he'd be damned if Pentecost's sacrifice was going to be in vain. He owed the Marshall that much, and he knew it.

"Yeah, it's good to be moving about without worrying it's gonna give out on me." Even if he couldn't sleep these days, it sure as hell beat the alternative. He put his hands on the table, started to lever himself up. Wouldn't do much good to outstay his welcome. "Well, I'll let you get back to –"

"You could stick around, if you wanted." Raleigh held the book up. "I could always read the battles, those are fun."

Chuck tried to picture Raleigh Becket reading to him, and just...couldn't. But he appreciated that Raleigh was trying to help. And hell, maybe Raleigh was as lonely and cooped up as he was and at the same loose ends, and maybe he just wanted someone to keep him company when daylight and distraction seemed much too far away. Chuck couldn't be the only one with demons he was trying to kill or at least keep at bay. And it wasn't like he had anywhere to go or anyone to go home to, except Max. And while Max was the best fucking dog on the planet and a great sounding board, sometimes Chuck just wanted someone who would respond when he talked in something other than a quiet woof or a lick to his chin.

Besides, if he was honest, he was a little curious at seeing this new side of Raleigh. This open, smiling, friendly bloke instead of the closed-off bastard who used his anger as a shield against the world – the one who'd mirrored Chuck's own attitude so completely it was like they were two halves of the same whole. But now, with the war over and everything changing yet again, maybe it was time to see if they could get on. If they weren't friends yet, at least they had respect between them, and it was a good enough place to start.

"Maybe you could tell me a few stories instead. Pick some of your favorite Greek myths maybe. Who's that book about?"

"Well, it's a Roman story, but based on a Greek myth...well, it's based on the Trojan War that was fought between the Greeks and Trojans. And Aeneas – uh, he was with the Trojans – escapes the sacking of Troy with some of his men and they eventually found the city of Rome and start the Roman Empire, but there's..." Raleigh stopped and laughed, the sound self-deprecating. "Yeah, you know, I think it's probably a little much to sum up in one sitting."

"Alright, someone else, then."

Raleigh was silent for a minute. "How about Perseus?"

Chuck shook his head. "No idea who that is, mate, sorry."

Far from looking disappointed, Raleigh's eyes lit up like Chuck had given him the best gift ever. And that look dropped the years from his face, smoothed out the edges of his smile, and was a sharp, forcible reminder that Raleigh wasn't much older than him. It was a little disconcerting. He and Mako and Raleigh...they were all still kids, really, when one thought about it, and they'd already saved the world from certain destruction. Christ, no wonder they were all at such loose ends. What the hell were they supposed to do for an encore?

"I've got a better idea. Grab a jacket and a few blankets and meet me at the door to the helipad in five, okay?"

"Sure," Chuck shrugged, even though he wanted to ask what the hell Raleigh was planning. But he didn't, because if Raleigh'd wanted him to know, he'd have told him. And he liked surprises well enough.

Max was splayed out on his back and snoring up a storm and probably dreaming about chasing rabbits when Chuck went back to his room. He gave a half-thought about waking the dog, but at least one of them was getting some sleep, and Chuck would have to be a pretty rotten sort or in a much worse way to disturb it. Instead, he threw on his fleece bomber jacket and grabbed two thick wool blankets from the closet, then made his slow, halting way to the other side of the complex and to the door that led outside to the helipad.

Raleigh was already waiting for him, his jacket zipped to his chin, with two blankets tucked under one arm. He handed Chuck a black wool cap. "Here, I forgot to tell you to grab one, so you can borrow my spare."

"Why do I need one? What're we doing here?" Chuck asked, even as he pulled it down on his head and watched Raleigh do the same with his own.

"You said you wanted to hear the story about Perseus, right?" Raleigh grinned, eyes flashing with mirth. His expression was way more like a mischievous kid than the badass Ranger pilot who'd helped save the world or the haunted bloke back in the mess hall from just a few minutes ago. Chuck had to admit he much preferred this look on Raleigh compared to the others. 

"And we need to be outside for this?" Chuck asked, following Raleigh out the door. The sharp wind hit him like a cold slap, biting at his cheeks and hands, and it was a damn good thing Raleigh'd remembered the hats. He zipped his jacket, and walked with Raleigh out on the deck until Raleigh looked up at the sky, then stopped.

"Yeah, here's good," he said, and laid both of his blankets, one on top of the other, on the tarmac. "We'll wrap up with yours."

Chuck passed one over and sat, frowning when Raleigh went flat on his back and threw a blanket over his legs instead of taking a seat. "Seriously, mate, what the hell...?"

Raleigh let out something that might've been a sigh and patted the space next to him. "C'mon, your virtue is safe, I promise, but this'll work better if you're lying down."

"Yeah, that's what she said," Chuck grumbled, ignoring Raleigh's surprised snort of laughter, and flopping to his back next to Raleigh, rearranging his blanket until he was covering himself from shoulders to knees. Much better, and the wind wasn't stinging him as much. "You realize we look ridiculous."

"So what? Who's out here to notice or give a shit, and why should you care what other people think?" Raleigh asked, punching lightly at Chuck's arm. "You're a hero of the Breach, man, I'm pretty sure you get a free pass on looking ridiculous for the rest of your life."

"If you say so." He didn't feel like a hero most days. Not compared to what Raleigh had achieved. But it wasn't worth arguing over.

"I do, and besides, we don't owe anyone an explanation."

"Maybe we don't owe the world one, but _you_ sure as shit owe _me_ one."

"Yeah yeah. Just...look up," Raleigh instructed, and Chuck did, blinking at the vast array of bright, twinkling stars in the clear night sky. There were thousands of them at least, filling the black void like Christmas or fairy lights, and went on as far as the eye could see. 

"It's pretty," he admitted. And it was, in an austere kind of way. He'd never really spent too much time looking up at the stars. When one spent as much time as he had fighting creatures that came from the bottom of the ocean, and operating a giant robot over 30-stories tall, well, looking up didn't hold that much appeal.

"Not pretty. It's _beautiful_ ," Raleigh corrected. "What do you know about the stars and the constellations?"

"Just what I learned in astronomy class," Chuck said, and pointed up, quickly flicking at each star as the names came back to him. He'd always had a pretty good memory. "North Star, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion's belt, there's Delta Cep, that's Acturus right there, that's Sirius..."

"You sound like you're reciting a flow chart," Raleigh said mournfully, turning his head to give Chuck an indecipherable look. "Do you even know the stories behind any of them or why they're called what they are?"

"Not really, no."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Raleigh looked up again, and adjusted his shoulders, most likely seeking a more comfortable position on the hard asphalt. Chuck knew how he must be feeling. Even with the blankets, the ground was still pretty unforgiving. 

"You might know the _science_ behind the stars, but you don't know the poetry," Raleigh continued, bearing such a distinct resemblance to one of Chuck's instructors at the Academy that he was tempted to do a double take. "There's so much more to 'em than chemistry and physics and reciting names – there's antiquity and the stories they tell about where we came from and where we're going. The history of our race is up there."

"Uh, if you say so." Frankly, Chuck was beginning to wonder if there'd been something stronger than hot tea in Raleigh's mug.

The corners of Raleigh's eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Prepare to get educated, kid." 

For once, Chuck didn't bristle at the nickname. For once, it sounded...well, like a friendly bit of ribbing. Like they were actual mates, instead of colleagues who only got on because they had to.

But just because they might be on friendly terms now, it didn't mean he could get back some of his own. "Yeah, alright, grandpa, impress me."

Raleigh let out another laugh, then pointed up at the sky. "Alright, you see that W-shape right there?"

"Yeah," Chuck said, after a second. "What about it?"

"Well, that right there is the constellation of Queen Cassiopeia, and if you want to know the story of Perseus, we gotta start with her and her husband King Cepheus – he's right there, if you follow the Delta Cep, you can make out his shape –"

Try as he might, Chuck just couldn't see it. But he trusted Raleigh, who was clearly an expert at this sort of thing. "I'll take your word for it."

"Good. So, the two of them, they ruled the kingdom of Aethiopia back in the day, and the queen was beautiful, man, she was a total stunner, and was really proud of her looks, too. And she and the king had this daughter, Andromeda –"

"Andromeda...like, the galaxy?"

"Yeah, exactly, this is where the name comes from. See, that's what I'm talking about. History," Raleigh said, turning his head to smile at him, wide and eager and possibly brighter than the stars overhead. "Anyway, Andromeda was also pretty hot, maybe even hotter than her mom, and one day Casseopeia bragged that she and her daughter were even more beautiful than the Sea Nymphs of Poseidon's kingdom. Uh, he's the..."

"Yeah, _him_ I know," Chuck interrupted, wryly. One didn't spend as much time in the ocean as he had without knowing all about the different gods that ruled the sea and all the different cults around them that had sprung up since K-Day.

"Okay, good. Well, this boast pretty much pissed Poseidon off, so he sent one of his beasts, uh, Cetus – he's right there," Raleigh said, shifting and pointing off to another part of the sky. Chuck couldn't see anything that remotely resembled a fierce creature or kaiju. It all still looked like a big jumble of tiny bright lights to him. "It's a little too late in the year to see all of him, but you can see Mira right there in the middle of his body, and there's his head."

At least he knew where Mira was. "Alright."

"So Poseidon sent Cetus up to the earth to destroy the kingdom of Aethiopia –"

"Giant sea monsters bent on destroying the world, huh?" Chuck commented, with a sardonic twist of his lips. " _That_ sounds familiar."

He caught Raleigh's wince out of the corner of his eye and regretted the words almost immediately. But before he could offer an apology, Raleigh started to sit up.

"Yeah, maybe this wasn't the best story..."

Chuck laid a hand on Raleigh's arm to stop him. "I'm sorry, mate, it was a joke. Well, it was sort of a joke. Look, it's fine, _really_ , I promise. Keep going."

Raleigh gave him a long look – so long, in fact, that Chuck started to get restless – but then he simply nodded and laid back on the blanket and got comfortable again. "Well, as I was saying, the King and Queen naturally didn't like this whole idea of getting their asses kicked too much, so they consulted with an Oracle, who told them they'd have to sacrifice their daughter to the monster in order to save themselves and everyone under their rule. So, they chained Andromeda to a rock at the edge of the sea, and waited, but they both offered prayers to the other gods to save them and their daughter –"

"Lemme guess, this is the part where this Perseus bloke comes in, right?" The best heroes, Chuck knew, always swooped in at the last minute to save the girl or the world or the day or whatever it was. He knew firsthand what that felt like, and he didn't have to look any further than right next to him to see a true hero, someone worthy of the title. 

"Got it in one. Okay, so you see that winking star right there?"

"Yeah, that's Algol."

" _That_ is Medusa's eye, but we'll get to her in a second," Raleigh told him. "But, see, that's the rest of Perseus, there's his head and his body and his arm right there –" Raleigh made a vague motion with his finger that Chuck thought was supposed to denote some sort of shape "– okay, so Perseus was a demi-god, uh, the son of a mortal woman and Zeus –"

"King of the Gods, yeah, I know." He felt pretty proud of himself for that one, too. Maybe he wasn't so completely useless at this whole mythology thing.

"Good, because I don't think we have enough time out here to go into all of his exploits." 

"Maybe next time," Chuck said, then winced at how that must've sounded, because who was to even say that Raleigh would even be up for doing this –

"Definitely next time," Raleigh nodded, cutting off Chuck's internal debate. "Alright, long story really short, but Perseus was on his way back to his native Argos when he came across Andromeda all chained up and he used – again, long story – Medusa's head to kill Cetus and took Andromeda's hand in marriage as payment for saving Aethiopia."

"Wait, Medusa..." That name also sounded familiar. "She's the goddess that turned everyone into stone?"

"Not a goddess, but a Gorgon. She was a high priestess of Athena who had an affair with Poseidon in one of Athena's temples –"

"Kinky," Chuck remarked, arching an eyebrow. "Gotta admire the brass ones on both of 'em to do the deed in a church."

"The Greeks wrote the book on kink _and_ cojones," Raleigh chuckled, "but in punishment, Athena turned Medusa into this hideous creature with snakes for hair and a gaze that petrified anyone who looked directly at her."

"Sounds a little harsh, I mean, just for getting laid." Although there probably were rules against getting it on inside a temple or church or whatever. Not that Chuck had much use for religion, but he respected it. Whatever helped people get through the days... Hell, maybe he'd be the one taking up religion next, if it would help him sleep.

"No one ever said the Gods were rational."

"Yeah, I guess." Chuck wiggled and shifted, trying to find a better position for his leg, and found that his hip and thigh were pressing right up against Raleigh's. He didn't move away, though. The contact felt... not entirely unwelcome. In fact, if he had to name it, he'd call it nice, even. It also helped that Raleigh was radiating some serious body heat – he was even warmer than Max was, and smelled a lot better to boot. "So...what else y'got?"

Raleigh glanced over at him. "You sure you wanna stay out here? I'm probably boring the shit out of you."

"Nah, this is fine. It's kinda cool, actually." Plus, Chuck wasn't ready to head back to his room yet, in spite of the cold. "I mean, I know it seems silly, but I've never...actually done anything like this."

"Kicked back on a blanket watching the stars?"

"Hung out with anyone like this," Chuck said, feeling foolish for even admitting it out loud. Although, here with Raleigh, it didn't feel so much like a weakness as it did just a simple confession. "I didn't really have time too much for friends growing up. I mean, there was Mako, but she was more like having a sister, and we were always training together, not...doing stuff like this."

"Yeah, I kinda caught some glimpses of what life was like for you guys when she and I were drifting." Then Raleigh nudged his shoulder. "So you sayin' we're friends now?"

"Well, I reckon it beats the alternative," Chuck replied, relieved that Raleigh didn't seem to mind the change in their status quo. "Considering you broke my nose last time we fought and all."

"Well, you cracked two of my ribs, so I'd say we're even." Then Raleigh gave him another one of those odd looks. "Besides, you were too pretty before. Now you look more rugged."

"Pretty huh?" Chuck narrowed his gaze. Even for friends, there was such a thing as too far. "I should punch you again for that, mate."

"But you won't." He sounded way too confident about it, but he had a point. Chuck was feeling too comfortable to move anyway, which was just as lucky for Raleigh, and his own too pretty face.

"How do you know so much about all this stuff anyway? I mean, constellations and Greek myths...that's not exactly what people think of when they think of one of the Becket Boys."

Raleigh's smile softened. "I wasn't like you or Mako. I mean, I had a chance to be a kid, y'know? And when I was young, I was a huge Trekkie, like, I wanted to grow up to be Captain Picard and helm a Starship and explore the universe and see new galaxies and civilizations, all that."

"I'm sorry, you were a...Trekkie?" The term was completely foreign. Maybe it was an American thing.

"Yeah, y'know, Star Trek? Strange new worlds? Boldly going?"

"Not really, no," Chuck admitted. Yeah, he sort of had a vague memory of reruns of various Star Trek shows playing on TV when he'd been little, and he thought maybe there'd been a movie or two, but his dad had been into Westerns. And back when his entire world had revolved around Hercules Hansen and his approval, Westerns had become his favorite genre as well. Then K-Day had happened, and everything had changed, and there'd been no more time for movies or anything much in the way of leisure activity. Just one more thing the war had stolen from him.

One more thing maybe he thought he should try to take back now that he had this second lease on life.

"Oh man, we really gotta get you caught up," Raleigh said, like he was maybe thinking of getting up right then and getting started. "Like, before we do anything else, we're sitting down and at least watching The Next Generation and DS9."

It didn't sound like the worst idea in the world. "Like I said, I've got time now," Chuck answered. He had more time than he knew what to do with, which was also...odd. His days used to be filled with so much purpose. Maybe that was part of the problem right there. Maybe he'd find a hobby or two. He wondered if Raleigh might have any suggestions about that.

"Alright, so getting back to why I'm into all this stuff, when I was young, I was always doing exactly what we're doing right now – lying on my back in our yard, looking up at the stars and trying to figure out which planet I wanted to explore first, and Yance..." The stumble was so slight that Chuck might've missed it if he hadn't been paying such close attention, "...he bought me a telescope for my tenth birthday. And he sat down with me every night with an iPad and we'd research the stars and constellations and that led to us reading up on the myths behind them and I guess it all just snowballed from there. I've been a Greek mythology junkie ever since. If Yance and I had had our way about it, we'd have named Gipsy Danger Hercules or Ares or something like that. I know it sounds crazy..."

"I think it's pretty cool," Chuck said, bumping Raleigh's shoulder with his own. "I was an only kid, so, I mean, I can only imagine how cool it was...y'know, to have something like that with someone else." The only thing he and his dad had in common was their love for Max and the residual guilt they both felt over Chuck's mom dying in the first attack on Sydney. 

Raleigh nodded, but turned his gaze back to the sky. His voice was so quiet Chuck had to strain to hear him. "Yeah, it's funny, but even on the worst days...I mean, even right after he died...I was still so grateful that I'd had him...no one could ever take that away from me, y'know..."

Yeah, Chuck could see that. All too clearly, in fact. And since Raleigh had opened up first, and they were out here all by themselves in the dark, with only the stars Raleigh loved so much as witnesses, Chuck thought maybe he could be just as open, too. Not as a contest or anything, but just to show Raleigh he wasn't so alone. 

"I still miss my mum every day," Chuck said, his voice a mere whisper. "Not a night goes by I don't think about her and if she'd be proud of me, or of Dad..."

"Well, I can't claim to have known her or anything, but I think she'd be very proud of both of you and what you guys've done."

"I think your brother would be proud of you, too," Chuck said, and because Raleigh seemed to need it (and maybe he did, too), he scooted even closer, throwing his blanket over both of them, and making a small cocoon that sheltered them from the cold. It was worth the gesture to see the gratified look on Raleigh's face.

When Raleigh uncurled his arm and opened it, Chuck took the hint and put his head on Raleigh's shoulder, allowed Raleigh to pull him flush against his side. If anyone was around to watch the two of them, they'd probably think...well, Chuck didn't really know what anyone would think and he didn't give a royal shit. A free pass, Raleigh had called it, and right now, Chuck was taking it at face value. Not that he felt like analyzing what he was doing or why he was doing it too much. Or at all, really. This felt right. That was all that mattered.

"You comfortable?" Raleigh asked, his breath tickling Chuck's temple just under the wool of his hat.

"Yeah. But if your arm starts to go numb..."

"Don't worry, I got this," and Chuck could pretty much feel that Raleigh was smiling that open, boyish smile again. And feeling that smile from this close definitely made making himself vulnerable worth it.

"So, what's next?" he asked, after a moment of comfortable silence. "I want something gritty this time, and definitely something with more sex." 

"More sex, huh?" Raleigh asked, amused. "I think I can definitely do that. How about...um...do you know the story of Orion and Artemis?"

"You already know I don't," Chuck grinned, poking Raleigh's ribs with a finger. "So start talking, mate."

"Alright, well, you'll like Orion, man, he was a total badass hunter, the best of the best, kinda like you, and since Artemis was goddess of the hunt, it was pretty much wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am at first sight..." 

Chuck listened, enraptured, as Raleigh spun the tragic tale of Orion and Artemis and their doomed love affair, drank in every word like it was water, and asked as many questions as he possibly could. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever had something this simple and free and void of any expectations, had some _one_ in his life who wasn't judging him against his father, or judging him at all, really. Someone who was maybe just as messed up as he was, but was trying his best to make it through to the next day, and maybe they could help each other to heal or something, Chuck didn't know.

But he at least had someone to pass the time with now, and he thought, maybe, somewhere out there, the Marshall was smiling down at both of them.

***


End file.
